by Aaron Slade
“I don’t want to know my future anyway,” I said.
“Tough,” Allison said. “The only way for you to be excited about this move is if you find out it’s not going to be as bad as you think. Besides, we didn’t get to celebrate your birthday last week, so we’ll let this make up for it.”
I wanted to protest. Moving to a new town was never a good thing, and no fortuneteller would change my mind. Dad kept me confined to the Military Base usually. Survival cities like San Diego had millions of people, so no one ever noticed when a new girl arrived, or when she left. I wouldn’t be missed.
“Shouldn’t we at least have made an appointment?” Felecia asked.
“If Marrow Williams told me correctly, she’ll see us coming,” Allison answered.
The three of us continued walking down the trashy sidewalk toward the address written on Allison’s palm. The buildings in this area of town were mostly condemned, but people still lived in them. Pieces of chalky, red brick rotted off the houses onto the streets, mashed into dust under people’s feet.
The overcrowded city’s population soared way over four-million, and the great number took its toll on the city. People littered the streets with filth, and the Military couldn’t rebuild and construct the city as quickly as they were needed– especially when one nasty person could easily vaporize a city block, and a hundred people, in seconds.
As we rounded another city corner, passing a street vendor selling hand-made scarves, a damp gust of wind attacked us. The misty, coastal breeze smelled like the ocean, but it wasn’t the smell of home.
San Diego wasn’t my home any more than the next place would be. Like me, Allison and Felecia were Military-brats– their parents worked for the Military. They were the closest thing I had to friends. Soon I would be in a foreign town and have to make new friends all over again.
“So what’s this new place called?” Allison asked walking with strict Military posture. She didn’t sound sad that I was leaving. She acted tough and hid her emotions well.
I kicked a yellow food wrapper out of my path. “Dad got transferred to Fallon of the Nevada Territory.” I tried not to sound depressed, but from what little Dad had told me of Fallon, the town wouldn’t be a home for me either.
Allison gasped. “The Nevada Territory? Nothing but sand and sun there…” She spoke as if she lived there once, and for all I know, she did. The Military transferred its ranking officers frequently.
“I’ve never even heard of it,” Felecia said. “How big is it?”
“It’s the smallest survival city in the land,” I said. Saying the words unleashed the sadness I’d managed to bury. I tried hard not to blink so the tears wouldn’t fall from my eyes, but I couldn’t fool Felecia or Allison.
“It will be fine,” Allison said.
I knew my tears annoyed her. Military life made her hard.
Allison continued. “Your dad did say that this is going to be the last time he’s transferred.”
I forced a smile. “That’s what he said when we moved to San Diego. But we only spent eight months here.”
Felecia grabbed my hand in an attempt to give me strength, and I felt so short looking up to see her face. “The work our parents do in the Military is important for society,” Felecia said. “It’s tough work, but we have to support people like your father who’ve dedicated their lives to keeping our cities safe.”
“After what happened last week, I think our cities could be safer,” Allison said. She gazed at a newspaper kiosk set up off the sidewalk.
Each newspaper covered the story of the horrendous fight last week. The front-page photos showed the chaos and murder around the fresh crater as shady smoke rose in the background.
Felecia’s blonde hair whipped around as she shot Allison a nasty look. “The Military does everything it can, but some people misuse their extra-human traits, which makes the job of the Military all the more difficult… and necessary.”
I tried to change the subject. “Dad told me that I wouldn’t have to worry about safety as much in Fallon. The city is one of the safest survival cities in the land.” I felt a genuine smile spread across my face as I remembered what else Dad had told me. “He also said that he would let me go to public school in Fallon instead of attending school on the Military Base.” I hoped this would make it easier to meet new friends.
“Really?” Felecia asked, sounding surprised. Envy filled her brown eyes.
“Believe me,” I said, “I was surprised as you are.” Deep down I knew the only reason Dad agreed to let me go to public school was to make me feel better about the move. He’d broken his word about not moving again several times, only to make the same promise again about this move.
“Does that mean he’s going to let you out of the house more often there?” Allison asked.
“I guess so,” I answered. I could count on one hand how many times I’d been allowed to leave the base while in San Diego.
“That’s good,” Allison said. “He never let you leave the house here.”
“It’s not like I never got to leave the house.” I smiled and both of them laughed at the inside joke. Dad couldn’t control what I did with my extra-human trait.
Allison ran across the street, ignoring the heavy, honking traffic. She walked to an old stoop with stone steps leading up to a yellow, wood door. She signaled to us to cross the street. We’d wound up in some sort of residential area near the Marina– I had no idea where, but in the distance, I could hear the waves of the ocean hitting the docks and seagulls squawking. It would be up to Allison to get us out of here.
“Thank goodness we’re here,” Allison said. “My feet are killing me.”
“Do you even feel pain?” Felecia asked.
“I’m a healer,” Allison answered. “Of course I feel pain. My ability is to heal the pain of others.”
I laughed and Allison jerked her head to me. “We can’t all have such rare abilities as you, Evee.”
“My EHT isn’t that rare,” I said. “It’s just… unusual.”
“It’s as one of a kind as those blue eyes of yours that draw all the boys in,” Allison said. “Don’t pretend like you don’t love your ability and all the attention it gets you.”
I detected her jealousy, but ignored it. “Can we please just go in already? I want to get this over with.”
No sooner than Allison knocked, a silver-haired lady swung the rundown door open, beaming down at the three of us.
“Come in! Come in!” she urged with a wide smile. She welcomed us like her own children.
The elderly lady stood just slightly taller than me, and moved with an energy that deceived her age. Her hair was short and spiky. She dressed in white, loose-fitting clothes for beach weather, but her sandals were a loud, sunny yellow. Her smile was pleasant and made me feel welcome. I eyed an odd necklace with a whitish, slender stone, maybe a crystal, hanging around her neck.
I followed behind Allison and Felecia through the doorway. Allison was the first to speak. “Hello, I’m Allis-…”
The seer-lady interrupted. “You’re Allison, Felecia, and Evee,” she said, pointing at each of us as she said our name.
The three of us looked at each other, surprised by her gift. I knew that Dad worked with a lot of people who could see the future– seers or precogs, they were called– but this was my first time to talk to one. I didn’t know what to expect. Dad told me on several occasions that seers usually worked for the Military since the extra-human trait was so rare and valuable. They were some of the most powerful people alive today.
We stood in the seer’s kitchen where tea had been prepared. The kitchen’s white paint appeared faded and yellowed. There were dark spots on the wall where some of the paint had chipped off, but the kitchen had a homey feel to it. Three teacups sat on the table next to sugar and honey.
“My name is Shannon,” she said. “I can’t tell you how excited I am.” She clapped her hands as if she was celebrating, and I wondered if she was a l
ittle senile. She pointed straight at me, singling me out. Her eye contact unnerved me. “Of course I know why you are here, Evee Ford, and I cannot wait to tell you your future. You two can help yourselves to some tea if you like while I meet with Evee. It’s raspberry, Allison’s favorite, I believe.”
Allison helped herself as Shannon nudged me into another room.
“I’m a little nervous,” I confessed, halting my feet. “I don’t usually do things that the Military declares illegal.”
“Would it make you feel better if I told you we were going to get away with it?” Shannon asked, shooting me a wink.
I relaxed, but worried that Dad would somehow know what I was up to– he’d never let me leave the house again if he knew.
Shannon grabbed my hand and led me out of the kitchen.
I waved goodbye to Allison and Felecia, who both snickered at Shannon’s eccentric personality. Shannon pulled me into her living room and shut the doors behind her. She pulled the curtains closed, allowing only a fraction of the sun to shine through them. The room smelt of dust and rotted wood. There was little furniture and the walls were almost bare– only a few pictures and fade marks where frames once hung. In the middle of the room was a small round table. Shannon sat in one chair and gestured for me to sit opposite her.
“We need absolute privacy,” Shannon said. “What I tell you is for your ears only. You can tell anyone you trust, but the less people that know your future, the better.” It sounded more like a warning than advice. “Once I tell you the future, you will have a decision to make– to believe me or not. The future isn’t always easy to hear, my dear, and I can already see that you won’t be able to accept yours.” She spaced out for a second, maybe seeing a glimpse of the future, I guessed.
Whether it was what she said or the way she said it, I didn’t like it. “I don’t know what bad news you could tell me that would be worse than the future I know is coming.”
“You’re referring of Fallon, right?” Shannon asked. She folded her hands in front of her, but looked above me or through me.
I almost forgot I was talking to a seer. “I’m not thrilled to move again.”
“Oh, I think you’re going to like Fallon,” Shannon said. She glared into the distance, grinning. “You’re going to meet a boy, a very special boy, and he’s been waiting for someone like you for a long time. The two of you are going to fall in love.”
For the smallest moment, my heart beat in a giddy rush, but I calmed down quickly. This was exactly why people called seers fortunetellers.
“I’m not really the type to fall in love.” I thought of the boys who had asked me out over the years– each one I turned down or told goodbye.
“You don’t date because you’ve never found a place that could be your home,” Shannon said. “All the moving you do with your father hasn’t allowed you time for romance, am I right?”
I shrugged, not knowing if she was right or not. I’d never been one for romance. Military life made people almost emotionless and schedule-oriented– always following someone else’s orders.
“This is going to be the last time your father makes you move,” Shannon said. The confidence in her vision made me feel better. Her concentration turned back to me. “You’re going to meet this boy, and from the first moment you see him, you’ll know you feel something for him. You’ll meet his family, and they will adore you.”
She did a good job of convincing me of the future. At least, I wanted to believe her. The idea of an adoring and supportive family was what I longed for most– as opposed to the cold father who worked all the time. I suddenly worried that Shannon was only telling me what I wanted to hear.
“Relax and close your eyes,” Shannon instructed. “I’m going to show you what I see. When I show people their futures, they see and feel many things. What you see will help you find this boy.”
I did as she said, eagerly awaiting to see this mystery boy. A numb feeling in my head grew larger until I was no longer in the dark. A soft, white light surrounded me, but I wasn’t alone.
A silhouette of a figure stood in the distance. I heard the person laugh– a deep, infectious, boyish laugh. As I moved closer I saw a boy with his back turned to me. He turned around slowly. At first, my mind registered only his smile. My heart leapt, and I felt it. Not love, but warmth, tenderness, and deep infatuation. He had a diamond-shaped face with green eyes. But in an instant, horror shrouded the happy face. The boy gawked down at my hands. I raised them in front of me. Wet, dripping blood stained my palms and rolled down my arms. The giddy feeling in my chest turned to agonizing pain in an instant, and the darkness returned.
I screamed, but the vision was already over. I found myself back in the dusky living room. Shannon’s face turned pale.
“What did that mean?” I asked.
“I have more to tell you.” There was something grim in Shannon’s voice. “What I’m about to tell you will be harder for you to accept, but I can’t explain to you how important it is that you believe me.” She drew a deep breath trying to find the right words.
“What?” I asked. I could feel the tremble in my voice. The energy in the room went from pleasant to grave.
“This young man is more special than I can say in words,” Shannon said. “The two of you will be happy for a while… but then…” She didn’t know how to tell me the rest. She looked down at her folded hands.
“Tell me,” I urged, reaching across the table and touching Shannon’s hand.
Her faded, hazel eyes slowly found mine. “After you meet this young man… you’ll die.”
The last bit of stale breath escaped my lungs. Time froze and nothing seemed to move as her last words echoed in my head. Shannon’s expression didn’t change. A cold shiver tingled down my spine, and my heart beat so fast it hurt. The air was hot and thick, too hard to breathe. The blood pulsed in the back of my neck and sweat formed on my collar and forehead, covering my body in a wet heat. I didn’t want to believe her. How could I? All I could do was shake my head in disbelief.
“This is why the Military says telling others their future is illegal,” I said, raising my quivering voice. “You can’t tell people these things.” I felt tears engulf my eyes.
“I’m not telling you this to scare you,” Shannon said. Her eyes watered, too.
“How can I love now that I know I’ll die?” I shrieked. My whole body went rigid with dread and resentment.
“Listen,” Shannon demanded. “Everyone has to grow up. You’re not a little girl, Evee. You have to be brave about this. I told you about your death so that your remaining time would mean something. And I promise you, when you meet this boy, you’ll know just how wonderful your time will be together. Few people have a chance at this type of love. Trust me.”
I buried my face in my hands, hoping that all of this was a bad dream and that I would wake up any second. But I didn’t. I’d never thought about death, and I wished something else would occupy my thoughts. The sound of my breathing kept my focus and I tried hard to make it slow and regular. I looked up into Shannon’s soft eyes and could see her remorse.
“I’ll love him?” I asked, wanting to believe it.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“And he’ll love me?”
“More than you can imagine.” She dug through her pocket and produced something metallic in her hand. “This is mine. I want you to have it to remember what I’ve told you. Take it as payment for how sorry I am, and please don’t tell your father what I’ve done.” Her hand trembled as she placed the object in mine.
A silver locket attached to a chain rested in my palm. It was rectangular with a smooth surface. I tried to open it, but the clasp wouldn’t budge.
“It won’t open,” Shannon said. “I’m sorry to say I jammed it a long time ago– it’s worthless really, but it’s all I have.”
I nodded. “Well… thank you for your time. This has been… an experience.” I wiped the last bit of moisture from my face. “I want t
o leave now.”
“So you believe me?” Shannon asked. A sudden desperation swept over her face.
I shook my head. “No. I can’t believe you. I’m not ready to die.” I dropped the locket on the table between us. “I don’t want it. I’d rather live than love.”
A gentle, sympathetic smile formed on her face, and she shook her head. “One can’t live without love. Love has a way of making us see things differently. Once found, love ensnares us, makes us stronger, and it makes a life - no matter how short - worth living. You’ll meet him your first morning in Fallon, and you’ll know him instantly. I’ve heard of people falling in love at first sight. I’ve always wondered what those people see.”
I sat up to leave the room, but Shannon reached out for my hand.
“There’s one more thing, Evee,” she said.
I turned around to face her for what I hoped would be the last time. “Please, just let me go.”
“You’re going to die,” Shannon repeated. Her gaze lingered deep into mine. “No one can escape their future, but I can’t tell you how important it is that this boy lives.”
NORMAL
Casper:
I checked the calendar on the wall next to my television. April 11th, 2221. Today had to be a better day than yesterday. I’d circled the day of April tenth in red pen and scribbled the word Freedom inside the space. For a year, I had crossed out the preceding days with a black slash through each square. What should have been one of the most important days of my young life, had been nothing but disappointment and a reminder that I wasn’t normal.
Fallon was my prison, and I would never escape it. Today would be like every other miserable day of my life, only now I didn’t have a future in sight– not after last night. I graduated in two months, but my life had no direction after that. I was trapped, doomed to live with my parents forever.
I walked into the kitchen. Mom appeared at the sink with a quick breeze that fanned through the room. Normal was watching her wash her plate then run out of the house at speeds so fast that seeing her was impossible. The only trace of her movements was the door opening and closing as she sped out of it in a blur. Dad materialized out of nowhere in Mom’s spot with his coffee mug in hand. I watched him place the mug in the sink on top of her plate.